In Conversation

Internationally acclaimed American violinist Benjamin Beilman joins  In Conversation  while in Sydney to perform Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra . Renowned for the intensity and poetry of his playing, Ben reflects on his remarkable musical journey, from singing as a choirboy in Atlanta and beginning violin lessons through the Suzuki method, to studying at the C...

Australian soprano Emma Pearson has built an extraordinary international career, performing with leading opera companies across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. After spending nine years as a principal artist with the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden in Germany – where she was later honoured with the prestigious title of  Kammersängerin  – Emma has returned to this side of the world while cont...

Italian bass-baritone Renato Dolcini has become one of the most distinctive voices on the international Baroque scene, having performed with some of the world’s best, including William Christie, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Giovanni Antonini and Cecilia Bartoli. In this conversation, Renato reflects on his long-standing relationship with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Artistic Director Paul...

Internationally acclaimed violist Lawrence Power joins In Conversation while in Sydney to guest direct the Australian Chamber Orchestr a’s Isles of Light program, a musical journey through the British Isles that traces a line from Renaissance composers such as Tallis through to contemporary voices including Jonny Greenwood and Kate Bush. Lawrence reflects on the distinctive character of British mu...

Actor, director, musical director and theatre entrepreneur Andrew Bevis has enjoyed a remarkable career spanning Australia and London’s West End, performing in major productions including  Les Misérables ,  Hello, Dolly! ,  Rocky Horror  and  Jerry Springer: The Opera , while also working extensively behind the scenes as a musical director and creative collaborator. In this conversation, Andrew di...

Widely regarded as one of the world's finest horn players, Stefan Dohr has been Principal Horn of the Berlin Philharmonic since 1993. In this conversation, Stefan reflects on the remarkable journey that took him from a musical childhood in Essen – where he initially played the viola alongside his brothers – to one of the most coveted positions in the orchestral world. He shares memories of dis...

Australian violinist Madeleine Easton has built an international career as a soloist, concertmaster and director, performing with some of the world’s leading period and modern ensembles, including the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique under Sir John Eliot Gardiner. In this conversation, Madeleine reflects on the extraordinary journey of founding Bach Akademie...

Highly accomplished Australian violinist Dale Barltrop has recently concluded a 10 year tenure as Concertmaster with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, having previously held that position with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. He’s also appeared as Concertmaster with the Australian World Orchestra, and guest directed the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Camerata. Since 2016, he’s been first violin...

Award-winning actress and director Blazey Best has spent more than three decades working across theatre, television and film. Her theatre credits include  Arcadia  and  Travesties  for the Sydney Theatre Company,  The Wild Duck  for Belvoir, and  The Glass Menagerie  for the Ensemble, winning Sydney Theatre Awards for her roles in  Ivanov ,  Medea  and  Miracle City . She’s appeared in a slew of t...

A comedian and actor who has made audiences around the world laugh for 40 years, Suzy Eddie Izzard, known professionally as Eddie Izzard , began her comedy career in famous London venues including the Comedy Store and the Ambassador Theatre, has appeared in plays on the West End and Broadway (including a Tony nomination for her performance in  A Day in the Death of Joe Egg ), and appeared in many...

An award-winning lyricist and writer for film, TV, and musical theatre, Lynn Ahrens has collaborated with composer Stephen Flaherty on a slew of popular musicals, including  Anastasia  for both film and stage,  Ragtime ,  Once on this Island ,  Seussical ,  A Man of No Importance , and many others. She’s been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes and won the Tony for Best Original Sc...

One of Australia’s pre-eminent actresses, Pamela Rabe has graced our stages and screens for over four decades. Her list of credits is vast, having appeared in seminal plays, from  Private Lives  and  The Glass Menagerie , to  God of Carnage  and  August: Osage County . She’s also no stranger to the screen, most notably for her portrayal of Joan Fergusson in  Wentworth . She’s received countless no...

A conductor with an impressive career that now spans 45 years, Sir Donald Runnicles has had enduring relationships in chief artistic leadership positions at many organisations around the world – Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Grand Teton Music Festival amongst many others, with his newest position as Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharm...

A composer who has been capturing our imaginations for over 40 years, Alan Menken is best known for his stage and screen compositions for a slew of Walt Disney films and subsequent stage musicals. He was one of the creative powerhouses behind what has become known as the Disney Renaissance, composing for  The Little Mermaid ,  Beauty and the Beast , and  Aladdin  amongst many other titles. And tha...

A fiercely original voice in Australian theatre, Sheridan Harbridge is an artist who moves fluidly between acting, writing and directing, and who thrives on the adrenalin of making new work. In this wide-ranging conversation, she speaks about her latest projects, including co-writing the book for the new Australian musical  My Brilliant Career, based on the Miles Franklin novel, returning to the s...

A conductor who has been making a name for himself in both Australia and Europe, Sam Weller has conducted top tier orchestras including the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the 18th Century and the Dutch Radio Philharmonic, as well as our own Adelaide, Tasmanian, West Australian and Queensland Symphony Orchestras.  In a wide-ranging conversation that moves from bold contemporary programmin...

Musical theatre performer Jarrod Draper steps into the role of Raoul in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s  The Phantom of the Opera  for the spectacular Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. A proud Wiradjuri man and the first Indigenous graduate of WAAPA’s musical theatre program, Jarrod reflects on the journey that led him to this moment – from growing up in Orange in a sports-loving family to discovering musical...

An Australian soprano admired by international critics for her “glossy, commanding sound” and “magnificent dramatic power”, Lauren Fagan is one of the most impressive and versatile sopranos on today’s stages. She’s performed roles with the Canadian Opera Company, Scottish Opera, the Glyndebourne Festival, Opernhaus Zürich, and Opéra de Paris, and many others, for roles ranging the full spectrum fr...

A violinist hailed for her “brilliant, polished, expressive and intense, absolutely stunning playing,” who is respected by critics, peers and audiences alike, Dutch born Simone Lamsma has an extensive repertoire, having performed with the world’s top orchestras. She’s played with the New York and London Philharmonics, the Royal Concertgebouw and Vienna Symphony to name just a tiny fraction, and wo...

Recognised as one of the most dynamic and internationally acclaimed conductors of his generation, Andrea Battistoni has conducted in many of the world’s leading opera houses, including Covent Garden and Deutsche Oper Berlin. He’s currently music director with Teatro Regio di Torino, chief conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and has just commenced another role – as Music Director of Oper...

Rupert Noffs is a singer, actor, writer and producer who works across cabaret and musical theatre, as well as live comedy and television. He’s recently twice toured the country as Bob Downe’s wide-eyed nepo-nephew in  Choose Bob: 40 Ridiculous Years  and is a founding performer in  Old Friends Sing Sondheim . Rupert’s life story goes well beyond that, though, as he’s also a successful restaurateur...

An actor, writer, director and artistic director who is now a major force in Sydney’s theatrical scene, Mitchell Butel has come a long way from bursting onto the stage for his Sydney Theare Company debut in  Six Degrees of Separation  35 years ago.   Now the STC’s artistic director, he is presenting his first full season, coming to the role after a five-year stint as artistic director of the State...

A pianist whose fresh interpretations have established him as one of the most unique and unusual soloists of his generation, Dejan Lazic has performed with some of the world’s leading orchestras, among them the Chicago Symphony, the London Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw and the Tokyo Symphony. He’s recorded 16 albums, and been lauded by critics, with  Die Spiegel  magazine praising his “gra...

Principal trumpet of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, David Elton, speaks about his career at the very top of the orchestral world and his ongoing commitment to new music. He discusses his collaboration with Australian composer Lachlan Skipworth, including the upcoming premiere of a new double concerto for trumpet and clarinet with the Omega Ensemble, and reflects on what it means to help shape a wo...

Vienna-based Australian mezzo-soprano Margaret Plummer is beloved by audiences in Australia and Europe. She spent eight years as a principal artist with the Vienna State Opera, and she’s sung with orchestras from the Vienna Philharmonic to the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and at La Scala and Bayreuth. She’s back in Sydney performing again with Opera Australia, for a role she is very familiar with...